Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Bangladesh Reviews 101 India Agreements Under Previous Government
Bangladesh is checking 101 agreements it made with India under its previous government.
The agreements cover areas such as ports, roads, infrastructure, and transportation.
Bangladesh’s current BNP-led government says it wants to make sure the deals serve Bangladesh’s own interests.
A politician accused the earlier government of giving some advantages to India.
One agreement lets Indian goods use the Chattogram and Mongla ports to reach India’s northeastern states.
Bangladesh’s foreign affairs minister said the country should move beyond being overly focused on India.
The government says it still wants a friendly relationship with India.
Officials have not yet decided which agreements, if any, will be changed or cancelled.
They say an announcement will come after the review is completed.
Bangladesh’s BNP-led government is reviewing 101 agreements and memorandums of understanding signed with India under the previous Awami League administration.
BNP Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said the review’s outcome would be announced soon, while emphasizing that Bangladesh wants friendly relations with India.
Moni alleged that the previous government compromised national interests and that Indian-linked vessels and vehicles received preferential treatment in Bangladesh.
A 2015 agreement allows Indian goods to move through Chattogram and Mongla ports toward India’s northeastern states.
The government has not said whether any agreements will be changed, cancelled, or retained, describing the process as a review.
- Who
- Bangladesh’s BNP-led government, including Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, is conducting the review.
- What
- The government is reviewing 101 agreements and memorandums of understanding signed with India under the previous Awami League government.
- When
- The review was reported on September 16, 2026; officials said an outcome would be announced soon.
- Where
- The agreements concern Bangladesh-India relations, including the Chattogram and Mongla ports and Bangladeshi transport routes.
- Why
- The government says it wants to prioritize Bangladesh’s national interests and examine allegations that the previous administration gave India preferential treatment.
Bangladesh Government’s Review
Previous India-Focused Approach
National interest versus closer ties
Bangladesh Government’s Review
The BNP-led government says agreements should be assessed against Bangladesh’s national interests and that the relationship with India should be based on mutual interests.
Previous India-Focused Approach
The previous Awami League government pursued closer ties and signed the agreements with India, an approach the current government says may have compromised Bangladesh’s interests.
Treatment of Indian-linked transport
Bangladesh Government’s Review
Nurul Islam Moni alleged that vessels from a friendly country received preferential treatment at Chattogram Port and that goods-laden vehicles used Bangladeshi roads without charges.
Previous India-Focused Approach
The article reports that the previous arrangement enabled India to use Bangladesh’s ports and roads, but it does not include a response from the previous government to these allegations.
Future of the agreements
Bangladesh Government’s Review
The current government is examining whether individual agreements should be changed, cancelled, or retained and says decisions will follow the review.
Previous India-Focused Approach
The existing agreements, including the 2015 port arrangement, remain in place while the review is conducted; Bangladesh has not announced plans to scrap all 101 deals.
- Agreements under review
- 101 agreements and memorandums of understanding
- Previous signatory government
- The Awami League administration led by Sheikh Hasina
- Current government
- The BNP-led government of Bangladesh
- Key officials
- Nurul Islam Moni and Humayun Kabir
- Port agreement
- A 2015 arrangement facilitates Indian goods movement through Chattogram and Mongla ports
- Review status
- No decisions have been announced on which agreements will be changed, cancelled, or retained
- Expected timing
- Officials said the outcome would be announced soon